The Coasters Albums (2)
'Coast Along with the Coasters'
Release Date 1/1/1962
Tracks 12
Label Atco
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With the songwriting and production team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller behind them, the Coasters were easily one of the most interesting vocal groups of the late '50s and early '60s, and their singles always featured inventive arrangements and great sound, managing to deliver gritty R&B while simultaneously wooing a mainstream audience and climbing the pop charts. Coast Along with the Coasters collects the group's Atco singles from 1959, 1960, and 1961, and was originally released on LP in 1962. Most of the songs are Leiber & Stoller compositions, naturally, but the group also covers material written by Bobby Darin ("Wait a Minute"), Doc Pomus ("The Snake & the Bookworm"), and Willie Dixon ("My Babe") in this set, and the continually fresh-sounding vocal and instrumental arrangements give the album a more cohesive, thought-out feel than most LPs released at the time. Among the highlights are the shuffle rock of the opener, "(Ain't That) Just Like Me," the social statement of "What About Us" (which contrasts the haves with the have-nots), and the truly bizarre "Run Red Run," which tells the story of a beer-drinking, card-playing monkey who tries to shoot his keeper for cheating at poker. Gotta love these guys. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a strange CD, mostly owing to the concept behind the original LP upon which it is built. For their second album, the Coasters and their producers, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, decided to try recording a brace of pre-rock & roll standards, including "Satin Doll," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Autumn Leaves," "Moonlight in Vermont," etc. The album stands by itself, a unique monument to the sheer range of the group's talent -- but expanding it for this CD was a problematic notion at best, owing to the fact that there was little from elsewhere in their tape library that really meshes with the original dozen songs. What we do get, however, is closer to what most fans expect of a Coasters album, rollicking, good-time rock & roll and R&B harmony vocal music. In this case, the bonus material also includes a pair of tracks, "T'ain't Nothing to Me" and "Speedo's Back in Town," cut live at the Apollo Theater in New York on November 13, 1963. Given the limitations of live recording at the time, and the fact that "T'ain't Nothin'" was as much theater as music, they come off exceptionally well, especially Earl "Speedo" Carroll on the latter song. The disc is filled out with alternate takes of "Stewball," "Charlie Brown," and "Along Came Jones," as well as a previously unheard up-tempo rendition of "Riding Hood," but the real surprise lies with the mid-'60s sides, among the group's least-known work. These include the 1964 rendition of "I Must Be Dreamin'" that recaptures the gritty, humorous edge of the original group, and the 1965-vintage "Money Honey" and "Let's Go Get Stoned." The former is a distinctly un-Drifters-like take on the Clyde McPhatter-era standard, while the latter is a piece of wonderfully gritty R&B that was subsequently a hit for Ray Charles (and is done in a style very much like his here, by Billy Guy as lead singer). The sound is excellent, and the annotation by Seamus McGarvey is highly informative. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
